The Impact of Cool Roofs on Indoor Temperature, Thermal Comfort, Cognitive Effort and Learning Outcomes.

Last registered on April 23, 2024
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The Impact of Cool Roofs on Indoor Temperature, Thermal Comfort, Cognitive Effort and Learning Outcomes.
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012888
Initial registration date
February 20, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
March 06, 2024, 12:44 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
April 23, 2024, 1:52 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Benston John
Affiliation
St. Stephen's College, Delhi University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
E Somanathan
PI Affiliation
Indian Statistical Institute
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Rohini Somanathan
PI Affiliation
Delhi School of Economics
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-02-21
End date
2024-05-31
Keywords
Education, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
Classroom, temperature, thermal comfort, cognitive effort, learning outcome, India
JEL code(s)
I21, I25, Q54
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Classroom features affect the learning process in schools. Temperature levels inside classrooms, an important classroom feature, have been shown to affect learning outcomes. In this context, we are interested in looking at low cost solutions aimed at reducing ambient temperatures in schools and anganwadis (a government run system of child care in rural India). Through our collaboration with the Energy Management Centre (EMC) of the state of Kerala we will be using roof paint with a high Solar Reflective index(SRI) to cool the roofs in government schools and anganwadis using a randomised controlled design. The study will look at the impact of cool roofs on indoor temperature, thermal comfort and also on attendance, cognitive effort and learning outcomes of school and anganwadi students. We will be using administrative data on exam scores and attendance along with data from primary surveys. Focus group discussions in collaboration with Kudumbashree, a collection of women self-help groups in Kerala, will also be undertaken to understand issues faced by people due to increasing heat and also their willingness to adopt various cooling measures.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
John, Benston, E Somanathan and Rohini Somanathan. 2024. "The Impact of Cool Roofs on Indoor Temperature, Thermal Comfort, Cognitive Effort and Learning Outcomes.." AEA RCT Registry. April 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12888-2.0
Sponsors & Partners

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Roofs in government schools and anganwadis will be converted to cool roofs by using white paint with a high Solar Reflective Index (SRI). The intervention will be undertaken using a randomized controlled design.
Intervention Start Date
2024-03-04
Intervention End Date
2024-04-10

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Indoor temperature, thermal comfort, attendance, cognitive effort and learning outcomes
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Thermometers will be installed in classrooms for measuring temperature.
Thermal comfort will be measured from questions in a primary survey using a Likert scale.
Cognitive effort will be measured using age appropriate mazes.
Learning outcomes will be measured using exam scores.
Adminstrative data on attendance and exam scores will also be used.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Government schools and anganwadis in 5 panchayats (a unit of local self government in India) of Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala with a plain, exposed concrete roof were randomized into treatment and control groups. To ensure availability of comparable classes in both treatment and control groups, the randomization was done by stratifying at the class level for schools. Individual Anganwadis were randomised into treatment and control groups in each panchayat.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Random assignment using a coin flip at each class level
Randomization Unit
Schools were randomized into treatment and control groups at the class level. Individual anganwadis in each panchayat were randomized into treatment and control groups.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
15 schools and 68 anganwadis
Sample size: planned number of observations
Around 720 students in anganwadis and 2100 in schools
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
6 schools and 36 anganwadis in treatment group.
9 schools and 32 anganwadis in control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IFMR Human Subjects Committee
IRB Approval Date
2024-02-09
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan